The present invention relates to a light radiation device for use in medical treatment, in particular, a light radiation device capable of irradiating a patient's scalp with light rays transmitted through a fiber optic cable.
In recent years, a large number of persons suffer from incurable diseases such as gout, neuralgia and rheumatism; or pain from injury scars, bone fracture scars or ill-defined diseases. Furthermore, no one can be free from aging skin which progresses gradually from a comparatively young age. On the other hand, the present applicant has previously proposed focusing solar rays or artificial light rays by using lenses or the like, to guide the focused light rays into a fiber optic cable and to transmit them to any place where the light is needed for illumination or for other purposes as for example to cultivate plants, chlorella, fish or the like. In the process of doing research, it has been found that the visible light not containing ultraviolet and infrared rays is effective not only to promote health and prevent people's skin from aging i.e. by increasing the body's inner activity, but also to noticeably aid in the healing of gout, neuralgia, bedsores, rheumatism, burn scars, skin diseases, bone fracture scars etc. but also in relieving the pain from such diseases.
And further, on the basis of the above-mentioned inventor's discovery, the applicant has previously proposed a light radiating device for radiating visible light rays containing none of the harmful ultraviolet rays and infrared rays with the aim of using it for healing various kinds of diseases, giving beauty treatments and for promoting health.
The present applicant has proposed a light radiation device for use in medical treatment comprised of a fiber optic cable for receiving sunlight or artificial light at its input end, and for transmitting the light therethrough, a hood member installed at the light-emitting end portion of said fiber optic cable and a chair for the patient. The light to be transmitted through said fiber optic cable is one that corresponds to the visible-spectrum light obtainable in the various ways previously proposed by the present applicant. At the time of the medical treatment, a patient is placed in the chair and the visible-spectrum light thus transmitted through the fiber optic cable is radiated onto the diseased part of the patient.
As mentioned above, the light to be radiated onto the diseased part of the patient is the one that corresponds to the visible-spectrum components of the sunlight and free from harmful elements such as ultraviolet and infrared rays. Consequently, it may be possible to make medical treatments safe with no fear of over-exposing a patient to harmful ultraviolet and infrared rays. However, the above-mentioned light radiation device, which is mainly used for healing the above-mentioned various kinds of diseases by radiating the light onto the skin's surface, has proven inadequate in the case of treating a patient's scalp since said light may be obstructed by the person's hair.